Italy World Cup flop kills five per cent of bets on tournament winner April 2, 2026 Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup this week was an early win for bookmakers as it killed five per cent of wagers on the outright winner, betting data shows. Four-time champions Italy lost on penalties in a play-off with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, meaning they will miss a third men’s World [...]
PSG sign deal with Whoop as Qatar links grow April 2, 2026 Paris Saint-Germain have announced a multi-year partnership with Whoop just days after the wearable tech firm was valued at $10bn following investment from a Qatari sovereign wealth fund. PSG’s parent firm, Qatar Sports Investments, is closely aligned with fellow state vehicle the Qatar Investment Authority, which this week joined Whoop’s $575m Series G fund raise [...]
E1: Thibaut Courtois joins ex-Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba as team owner April 2, 2026 Real Madrid and Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has become a co-owner of Sierra Racing Club, one of the newest teams in the E1 electric powerboating series. Courtois has acquired a stake in the Turkish-backed team, which joined the PIF-backed E1 this year, through his investment vehicle Nxtplay Capital. He joins a host of sports stars [...]
Middlesex CCC needs saving from oblivion so ECB must take bold action April 2, 2026 As the English cricket season begins again, the demise of Middlesex should be ringing alarms bells at fat cats Surrey and the ECB, writes Ed Warner. Of course the forecast is for biting winds across the country this weekend. What did you expect? The English cricket season starts tomorrow. Expect confected hoopla about The Hundred, [...]
Exclusive: Squash Tour Finals set to move to LA ahead of Olympic Games debut April 2, 2026 Los Angeles is in line to host the Squash Tour Finals next year as the sport looks to lay foundations ahead of the next Olympic Games, Morning Wire has learned. Squash is one of five sports added to the Olympic programme for the LA 2028 Games, and will take place on the Back to the [...]
Chelsea suffer biggest financial loss in Premier League history April 1, 2026 Chelsea have confirmed by far the biggest annual financial loss in Premier League history after they recorded a deficit of £262m last season. The figures surpass the previous record, the £197m loss made by Manchester City in 2010-11 during a period of rapid investment by their Abu Dhabi-based ownership. It also takes the amount lost [...]
Sport data giant Sportradar slapped with lawsuits in UK and US April 1, 2026 The $5bn valued sport data giant Sportradar has been slapped with a pair of lawsuits for “aggressive actions” towards software company Altenar. Action has been filed in London’s High Court, while there is a Stateside suit heading to the US District Court of New Jersey. Both are claims for multi-million pounds and dollars respectively. The [...]
NBA Europe: Bids top $1bn as London team proves hottest property – sources April 1, 2026 The NBA and its advisors have received several bids in excess of $1bn for teams in its proposed European league, according to sources close to the process. The US basketball league and its advisors, JP Morgan and the Raine Group, have begun sifting through non-binding offers for the 12 permanent franchises in the new competition [...]
Abramovich defies Starmer with new foundation plan for £2.4bn Chelsea funds April 1, 2026 Roman Abramovich has responded to Keir Starmer’s legal threats to claim the £2.4bn sum raised from selling Chelsea by taking steps to set up a new foundation. An application for the creation of the Foundation for Victims of Conflict will be made this week with the Charity Commission, without the permission of the government. No10 [...]
London City Lionesses CEO Martin Semmens: ‘We want to be sustainable’ April 1, 2026 London City Lionesses may have made their presence felt in the Women’s Super League by spending big on star signings such as Grace Geyoro, but Michele Kang’s riches are going on much more besides. It should probably come as no surprise that Kang applies the same attention to detail that made her a billionaire in [...]